It's been a long time coming, but the next iteration of Doom is finally here.
That's not to say that Id Software has been slacking off: the developer actually shelved an entirely separate version of Doom simply because it wasn't living up to its standards. Needless to say, the team wasn't going to simply ship a game for the sake of a paycheck: with a franchise as groundbreaking as Doom, Id Software wanted to do it justice.
Now that the game is out, fans are finally getting their hands on what could be one of the most unique shooters in a long while. Yes, the game is still mostly about shooting demons until they explode into tiny, meaty chunks, but Id Software wisely updated and reworked most of the original games' mechanics. What fans are left with is a mix of both old and new — and it may take a little getting used to.
There's a lot about Doom that's different from every shooter on the market — and that includes the original two games. The flow of combat is so fast-paced that a lot of players may be taken by surprise — just look at how relentless the first level of the game is:
That may not seem too hectic — there are plenty of shooters out that get almost as intense as that by the time the credits roll. Just remember: that's the first level of the game.
It only gets crazier from there: before long, players are shooting and blasting their way through entire hordes of enemies, with explosions and shotgun shells raining down around them. Id Software promised that Doom would be intense, and it wasn't lying: combat is a constant balance of dodging enemies, counterattacking and traversing the environment. It's a lot to process all at once — but once you find your rhythm, there's nothing else quite like it.
Id Software took a lot of risks with Doom: not only does the reboot carry the baggage of the most influential first-person shooter franchise in the industry, but it purposefully ignores the trends set by series like Halo and Call of Duty. That being said, the risk has definitely paid off: Doom feels unlike any other game out there, and it's infinitely better for it.
For more on Doom, make sure to check out our in-depth coverage hub.
